Chapter 68
He's running wildly, desperate to get away, his legs pumping as fast as they will go as his heart pounds in his chest. He's running through brush, wild brush that gets denser as he runs until the path he's running on disappears altogether. But it doesn't stop him from trying to elude his pursuers. The more he struggles through the brush and vines, the more they hold him back, grabbing at his clothes like long tentacles, grasping and ensnaring him. Overpowered, Stefan feels himself being pulled down to the ground, gasping for breath, unable to fight the large hairy black tentacles that envelop him. The sound of his cries get stuck in his throat, and then everything goes blank.
The nightmare shifts in focus and Stefan sees himself as a small wisp of a boy, around age three or four, standing in the corner, his eyes large, but the rest of him shrinking to a very small size, keeping still in hopes of evading punishment. His stunningly beautiful mother towers over him, her eyes blazing. "You stupid little boy!" Helena berates. "You can't comprehend the simplest instructions, can you? How you were born of my loins, I will never fathom. But I will rid you of your cowardice if it kills you in the process. Come HERE!"
The little boy Stefan instinctively shrinks further into the corner, away from Helena. Even at this young age, he knows better than to say a word because it'll only inflame her more. But his heart beats wildly in his chest and his eyes dart around, looking for a means of escape, already trained to take in every bit of information, however insignificant.
Carly wakes to find Stefan obviously in the throes of a hellish nightmare. His eyes are moving wildly under his eyelids and his breaths are coming in choked gasps. It seems that every muscle in his body is tense, like he's in the midst of a battle. One hand grasps a clump of sheet so tightly his knuckles are white.
Her heart in her stomach, she sits up in bed and reaches out a hand to touch him, but when her fingers make contact with his shoulder, he flinches violently and a small sound like a shocked whimper comes from his lips. He clenches and unclenches his hands, but other than the muscles in his body tensing he is very still, as if moving is impossible or something to be avoided. Carly comes to the sick realization that this is what Stefan has been avoiding during those sleepless nights.
She extends her hand again to run a hand along his shoulder, speaking soothingly. "Stefan, Baby... it's okay. Wake up, Honey, and everything will be all right, I promise. No one can hurt you," She says, hoping to penetrate the nightmare and wake him. He cringes from her touch, but still doesn't wake.
Huddled in the dark, a trembling young Stefan is surrounded by perpetual darkness. Alone with no way out, the sounds of skittering animals seem to get louder as time passes. No one is there to comfort him if he cried, and oh how he longs to. But weeping only makes it worse, because horrible things happen when she hears him cry. She would leave him there forever, she told him so. No one would ever find him and he would die in the dark with the rats and spiders chewing on him. No one ever found him besides her. He is at her mercy. If she becomes too angry... He shivers, refusing to think of that.
Will she come back for him? Realizing that this time she might leave him here for good, he can't hold back any longer, two tears slip out and drop on his shirt. He prays silently, mouthing her name over and over again, apologizing to her in his mind, begging her to come back, begging her to punish him any other way than this. Beat him, shame him, anything but this. Anything but being left alone the dark with the rats and spiders scurrying over his feet. She knows how much he hates it. What if he gets bitten and is left there to die?
It seems like he's been trapped for ages, and just when he feels he's been forgotten, the door is opened and blinding light pours in. A gentle female voice, Carly's voice beckons him. A blonde female figure stands before him with her face obscured. Her face comes into focus and he sees that it's Laura, her glorious long blonde mane of hair free about her shoulders, her hand outstretched and urging him forward like a beautiful angel come to rescue him. Relief floods him and Stefan reaches for her, but before they touch, she drops her hand and she transforms into a young Helena, dressed in white with luxurious long blonde hair draping her shoulders.
He is a little boy again, facing his towering mother who stands at the top of the steps holding her hand out to her youngest son, looking the picture of a loving parent. "It's okay, it's all over now, Sweetheart." Despite his trepidation, Stefan takes Helena's hand and lets her lead him out into the light.
Carly senses a change in Stefan, his arms going slack and the tension in his body easing. "It's okay, it's all over now," She whispers, her heart breaking at the sight of a single tear slipping out from under his eyelid and down the side of his face. She lays down facing him and wraps her arms around his now trembling body. She feels him pull her against him tightly, burying his face in her shoulder. They lay in silence for a long time, the nightmare dissipating,
Tears streaming down her own cheeks, Carly strokes his hair soothingly as she murmurs in his ear. To say she is frightened by the tormented nightmare she's witnessed is putting it mildly. None of his previous nightmares had come close to this intensity.
But right now the only thing that's important is helping him through this.
As he comes fully awake, Stefan's first thought is Carly and the horrifying realization that he's not alone. Even as she gently strokes his hair in an attempt to soothe him, any sense of relief he might have in the lull after his nightmare evaporates into thin air. His whole body violently rebels at the idea of what she witnessed, his mind reels at the ramifications... this is intolerable, unacceptable. She is beautiful, intelligent, sexy, and even now he could say loyal. He adored her, but this... this ruined everything.
.
"Mr Cassadine?" The disembodied voice of the pilot fills the darkened cabin of the plane. "We'll be landing within the half hour."
Waking, Nikolas shifts in his seat, his eyes blinking open to find Emily exactly where he left her last, curled up in his lap with her head on his chest. Nikolas smiles down at her, brushing her auburn hair from her face with his fingers. So peaceful. He's not looking forward to releasing her to the melee of her family. The last few days have been blissful. Too perfect, more of a dream than reality.
Nikolas strokes her face gently. "Emily... Sweetheart, it's time."
"Hmmmm." Emily lifts her head off Nikolas's shoulder, opens and shuts her eyes once, then sits up. Rubbing her eyes, She whimpers mournfully. "Tell me we aren't there yet."
Nikolas smiles crookedly. "I'm afraid so. The pilot just made the announcement. We'll be landing in Toronto shortly."
"I guess the honeymoon's over, huh?"
Nikolas winces. "Don't even joke about that."
"Sorry." Emily leans her head against his chest again. "I'm sooo not looking forward to going back to Port Charles and facing my family. Do you have any idea what my dad is going to be like when I get home?"
"Mine won't be much better. Now that he's gotten his own way, he'll be insufferable. There will be no living with him." Nikolas scowls playfully at Emily. "It's your fault, you know. We could be happily married, picking out wallpaper...." Emily thwacks him on the chest with her fist, causing him to grunt. "OW! What did you do that for?"
"You deserve it!" Emily sits up, her eyes glittering with outrage. "It's NOT funny! You.. you..."
"Prince?" Nikolas hugs her tightly before she can punch him again.
"--Pig! The decision was mutual!" Emily makes a halfhearted attempt to get out of his lap, but Nikolas holds her still.
"You're right, you're right. It isn't funny. I'm sorry." Nikolas kisses her hair, then her cheek, then nuzzles her ear until she melts in his arms. "God, Emily. I'm going to miss this, " His whispers in her ear. "Being able to kiss you whenever I want."
Just as Emily turns her head to deepen the kiss, the pilots voice fills the cabin again. "The tower has given us the signal to land. Please buckle up. We'll be on the ground in a few minutes."
.
Stefan's mind is spinning a mile a minute. Knowing Carly will start peppering him with questions when he rises, he schools his body to play possum until he's ready to deal with the inevitable fallout.
He'd been so tired, so incredibly tired, that he hadn't been able to prevent himself from falling so deeply asleep he couldn't wake himself up again. He had allowed himself to be swayed by the pleasure of being with her and by the fact that he slept better in her presence. It was reckless of him not to realize that Helena's gift would prey on his mind.
He has to distance himself.... get himself together. He has to think and decide how best to handle this breach. Plan for all contingencies, repair the damage already done, and work on a way to bury this demon so deep it can't move. He curses himself. He had been lax, allowing his desire to be near her, her balming influence lull him into believing that the tear in his self defenses had been sufficiently repaired.
The act of her quietly stroking his hair is in such direct contrast to how he's feeling, he can't stand it any longer and he grabs her hand. Without a word he rises from the bed and puts on his pajama bottoms and robe. By the time he turns around to face her, his face is a carefully erected mask that shows no weakness or warmth.
Carly lays where he left her, startled and silent. One second, he's in her arms recovering from his nightmare, and the next he's as cold and remote as he was the first day she came to Wyndemere. She sits up and pulls the covers about her. "Well I guess you don't want me to ask how you're feeling or if you're okay," She begins, heaving a heavy sigh. Maybe his demeanor shouldn't surprise her, but it does. It's been so long since he'd been this distant from her. And it's startling that the transformation happened so quickly.
"You are correct," Stefan answers in a clipped tone, going to his dresser and pulling out some clothes. "I will be taking a shower down the hall. I suggest you go back to sleep and I will see you in the morning."
Carly is up out of the bed in an instant, the sheet wrapped around her nude body. "Oh, no you won't! You're not going anywhere until we talk about this."
Stefan's eyes glitter dangerously and even Carly in her adamance feels a shiver go down her spine. She obviously used the wrong tactic. "I will go where I please, since this is my house. And for the record, we will not discuss what transpired tonight, not ever."
He doesn't wait for a reaction, but instead goes towards the door, intent on getting out of the room and into the safety of the shower. He's surprised when Carly dashes in front of him, and puts herself between him and the door. "No, I deserve an explanation and you're not leaving until I get one." Realizing by the angry glower in his eyes that she's coming at him too harshly, she reaches out and touches the collar of his robe imploringly. "Stefan, please. I was scared out of my mind a few minutes ago when I woke up to find you in the middle of a nightmare. You were terrified and I couldn't even wake you..." Letting her fear and concern for him show on her face, she continues in a soft whisper. "Don't shut me out. You can trust me with this. You know you can."
This isn't her fault, Stefan reminds himself, she's just a innocent bystander. Don't be so brutal you hurt her, not if you can help it. Not tonight, after the night you've shared. Not when you have to break her heart tomorrow. Perhaps if you explain a little, she might back off. "I appreciate your concern, Caroline. But I must insist that you leave this issue be. What occurred tonight is intensely private, something you never should have seen. No one was ever meant to witness it. I'm sorry you were scared, but it is over, and there is no reason for you to be worried. Now please let me pass."
Carly shakes her head. "I can't let you go. Not this time. I know I can help if you just let me. I've helped you when you couldn't sleep before... right? I can help again."
Seeing the steely determination in her gaze, Stefan realizes she won't let this go. Not without a fight. Fine, he will give one to remember.
"No one can help me," he says bitterly, something inside of him snapping. He lies easily and brutally, saying the things he knows will push her away, will goad her. Perhaps it is better this way, picking a fight now. Putting it off would only make it harder. "Because I don't require it. And if I were in need of help, I wouldn't turn to a self-absorbed spoiled girl who can barely take care of herself. Do not push my patience any further on this."
"I know what you're trying to do," Carly retorts, pushing on relentlessly. "And it isn't going to work. I have been there night after night when you couldn't and wouldn't sleep. I've held you without question when you woke up in a cold sweat in the wee hours of the morning. And now, when you have the most terrifying dream I can imagine, you want to shut me out? Who hurt you? Was it your mother?"
"For the last time, Caroline, do not press the issue." Stefan's voice is low and dangerous.
Carly ignores the warnings. "I'm not going to let you handle this alone. We are lovers, we handle our problems together."
"You have no choice," Stefan says in a glacier tone, forcing himself to say the words he knows he needs to say. "Because, as of this moment we are no longer lovers."
Carly pales, her knees turning to jelly. "What--??"
"You heard me correctly. Your services as my mistress are no longer required," Stefan continues, his ruthless tone making their life together sound tawdry and cheap. Carly sees her world shatter into a thousand tiny pieces before her eyes. "I had thought to wait until the end of our weekend together, but I see no reason to put this off any longer, not when you are ignore the most basic boundaries I set. I want you gone from Wyndemere by morning. I will have the staff pack up your few remaining things and have them delivered to the cottage." Stefan steps around her and out the door to the shower down the hall, closing the door behind him.
Chapter 69
After a good long cry, Carly wipes away her tears with determination. She isn't giving up, not by a long shot. She's come to know Stefan well enough to know that he's pushing her away because he's afraid. The nightmare was certainly part of it, but she's not naive enough to believe that's all of it. Something else is going on. He's lying, and she knows just how to prove it.
With a battle plan forming in her brain, Carly smiles grimly. She'll just have to remind him of what they have together. Going to the closet, She pulls out a simple outfit: a sweater and skirt. It wasn't about the trappings, it was about the fundamentals. Once she's through, he won't be able to deny it. Then he'll tell her what's really going on.
Dawn
The phone rings, waking Jason instantly. He turns over in his bed and grabs the phone before the second ring. "Hello?"
"Jason?"
Emily's voice has Jason sitting up. "Emily? Where are you? The Quartermaines have been in hysterics since you left."
"I'm okay, Jason. I promise. I just took off for a while to get a break from them. It was either that or go stark raving mad."
"I figured that was part of it." Jason relaxes a little at Emily's reassurance. "Cassadine with you?"
Emily glances uneasily at Nikolas. who is across the hotel room from from her. If she lies, Jason will only catch her at it. "I was hoping you'd come pick me up. I.... I don't want to call the house because they'll swoop down on me..."
"Where are you? Give me the address." Jason grabs the pad and pencil by the phone.
"I'm at the Best Western in Rochester, Room 305." Emily reads off the address and phone number from the stationery.
"Are you safe? I have Michael with me and I can wake him if you need me to come pick you up right now."
"You have Michael?" Emily exclaims. "That's terrific. No, there's no rush. I'm perfectly safe. Why don't you meet me at my room at 10? I'll get the continental breakfast and read the paper."
"I'll be there," Jason answers. "And Emily, I'm glad you're okay."
After hanging up, Emily crosses the room to where Nikolas is sitting on the love seat. She sits on his lap facing him, her legs straddling his knees. Nikolas's arms go around her and pull her against his chest. "He'll be here in a few hours."
Nikolas nuzzles her neck, softly nibbling on her throat. "Then we have some time...."
"You have to be long gone by the time he gets here," Emily urges, her hands finding their way to the nape of his neck. Her fingers stroke his jet black hair. "He wasn't fooled. He knows I was with you. If he has a chance, he's gonna try to take a piece out of you."
Nikolas loosens his hold, letting his hands rest on her hips. "Fine. In the interest of keeping peace, I'll make myself scarce."
Emily's fingers toy with the buttons of his shirt. "So when will you be back in Port Charles?"
"I'm going back to our hotel room in Toronto, then I'll cross the Canada border officially tomorrow morning. I should be back in Port Charles by midday. I'll stop by Wyndemere and give my father the good news."
"That should be enough time for me to clear a few things up with my parents." Emily shrugs. "And if they won't listen to reason, I'll just move out."
After his shower, Stefan sits behind the desk in his study, attempting to work on his computer as a way to distract himself from the fact that in a few hours Carly will be gone from his life for good. He reminds himself that it's for the best for both of them. Helena will leave Carly and her son alone now. They will be safe. That is what is most important.
This had been a long time coming. There had been hints for weeks that this ending was inevitable, he had just ignored the signs because he'd been selfish in wanting to keep her near. Caroline will be better for it in the long run, free of the Cassadine shadow, of his dysfunction. She had outgrown him, she didn't need him any more, he was a hindrance to her, an obligation, a safety risk. Fact was, their lives didn't mesh anymore.
Even to his own mind the rationalizations do little to fill the crater sized hole that the loss of her has already created. And it would be a long long time before he'd forget the devastated look on Carly's face when he told her it was over. He'd known all along he'd have to be brutal if he wanted her to believe him, but it didn't make it any easier to hurt her.
He hears a noise at the door, and looks up to find Carly standing in the now open doorway. His heart skips a beat, despite himself. She doesn't look hurt and angry as he expected she'd look. She looks determined, and not the least bit like a woman who'd be leaving in a few short hours. In short she is breathtaking. He swallows; she isn't going to make this easy for him.
Carly sizes him up quickly. She's come to learn his moods over the time they've been together. She knows when he'll negotiate, when his mind is made up, and when he's playing things close to the vest. Unfortunately today his features are set in hard granite. Talking to him, reasoning with him will be fruitless.
Stefan rises from behind the desk. "Caroline, we said all that needed to be said."
Carly pushes off the doorjamb and purposefully comes to a stand in front of him. What's the point in talking? In arguing? He'll only lie and push me away. He's a master at it. Why give him the opportunity to hurt me more? Jutting her chin out, She meets him eye to eye. "The reason I came looking for you has nothing to do with talking."
"Oh?" Stefan cocks an eyebrow, not sure if he should be curious or suspicious. Or afraid.
Reaching out across the few inches that separate them, Carly boldly runs her hands up his chest to wrap around his neck, rising on her toes to kiss him on the mouth. She kisses him thoroughly, boldly, until she feels his mouth open to receive her tongue. Sensing an imminent victory, her lips trail down to his bearded chin, nipping as she goes while her hands tug at his suit coat, removing it before she runs them down his chest and then lower to cup his balls. She sighs against his throat when she feels him pressing hard against her hand. "You can't lie to me now. You still want me, Stefan."
A low rumble emerges from deep in Stefan's throat as he forcefully backs her up until she slams hard against the wall. In hopes of scaring her into stopping this seduction, he grabs a clump of her hair, forces her head back and crushes her mouth in a bruising kiss. Instead of frightening her, she welcomes his violence, rising to meet it, spreading her legs wide for him when his hands rake her body roughly before finding their way under her skirt. She gives a little cry of surprise against his mouth when she feels her panties torn from her.
Stefan pulls up suddenly, breaking the brutal kiss to look at her. Her breath is coming in short pants and his hand is damp with her arousal. The urge to bury himself inside her is overwhelming. But he forces himself to stop, a niggling fear growing. Quite honestly, his brutality shocks him. He's never felt this out of control before.
Carly doesn't flinch under his savage treatment, but instead stares him straight in the eye while unzipping his pants, shoving aside his boxers and running worshiping hand over his rock hard penis. Lord, she wants him so much it hurts.
Grabbing Carly's hands and pinning them beside her head, Stefan lifts her off the ground and buries himself within her slick walls in a single fierce stroke. The heat and the tightness coupled with watching her lick her swollen lips with anticipation breaks remaining thread to his self control.
Crushing her mouth against his once again, Stefan lets loose his passion, pounding into her with a ferocity he's never dared to unleash with any woman before. Pure instinct takes over, the fast-paced rhythm to their joining sending them to the precipice of orgasm together. Lost in feeling, in pure emotion of the moment Stefan doesn't know and doesn't care if he hurts her.
She wraps her arms around his neck and holds on for dear life, welcoming his violent lovemaking, his devouring mouth, knowing and trusting in her heart that in his purest most basic essence he would never hurt her. She is dizzy with the knowledge that he chose to be like this with her, certain now they will get past whatever problems they have.
He reaches his orgasm with the startling ferocity of a wild animal, and his rough shout of completion sends her careening over the edge, her cry quickly following his.
Stefan and Carly, weak and ravaged from their coupling, slide down the wall to the floor.
A few moments later, as Stefan regains his sanity, the shame of what he's done crashes down. He cherishes Carly, adores her, and yet he'd just defiled her in the worst way possible. He took exquisite pleasure while ravaging her brutally, hurting her as no man should ever hurt a woman. Stefan has never loathed himself more.
"You see now why it is over between us?" He states bitterly, rising to his feet to pull on his pants. He leaves her on her knees, bereft and dazed.
"No, Stefan, you're wrong!" Carly protests, starting to rise. Why was he denying what they just shared? Sure it had been wild and savage and out of control, but it had been beautiful too. "I know you care about me. I know it in my heart. You're pushing me away for a reason, and it's not that garbage you're spewing. Why? This isn't you. Nothing has changed between us. You want to be with me, your body doesn't lie!"
Stefan stares down at her, turning the disgust he feels for himself on her. If she wouldn't protect herself from him, he would have to do it for her, even if he had to crush her in the process. "You are deluding yourself if you think you were anything more than a body to slake my sexual appetites on. What just happened between us was a lesson. Obviously you are too dim to get the message, so let me spell it out clearly: You are nothing to me, Caroline. It's over. Get out and do not make the mistake of approaching me again. I will call the launch operator and he will take you over to the mainland immediately. Good bye, Caroline."
Chapter 70
Early morning
Still dazed from what happened in Wyndemere, Carly stumbles in to her cottage. Standing just inside, she gives the door a weak push that doesn't quite close it. She looks around furtively, looking for something, but she's not sure what. Finally her eyes rest on the sofa, and knowing her legs are like jelly, she walks with careful precision over to it before collapsing in a heap on the couch.
Carly hears his words still reverberate in her head.. "You are deluding yourself if you think you were anything more than a body to slake my sexual appetites on..... you are nothing to me... Get out and don't make the mistake of approaching me again... good bye, Caroline." The pain cuts so deep, and so unexpectedly, she doesn't even have the strength to cry.
He meant every vicious word he spoke, the certainty was in his eyes plain as day. Any lingering desire he felt for her, any remote chance for reconciliation, died on the floor of his study. And now he hated her, and worse, he was disgusted with her. And what's the absolute worst, she has no idea why.
She lost him, her best friend and her deepest love at the same time. She'd survived it before with Jason. But she sees now that the relationships don't even compare. The depth of feeling she had for Jason, even while she was in the throes of it, never came close to what she feels for Stefan now. It was more like puppy love. Unrequited love. With Stefan, who returned and encouraged her devotion, her love had been all encompassing, filtering into every part of her life. How is she supposed to pick up and go on?
The answer is one name: Michael.
He would be home tomorrow. She had one day to pull herself together. One day to put on a face and pretend her heart isn't in shreds.
Sleep, she needs sleep. A refuge where she can forget for a while. Reaching behind her, Carly pulls the afghan off the back of her sofa and curls up to sleep.
.
Midmorning at Wyndemere.
"You're certain you don't want breakfast before you leave, Mr Cassadine?" Mr Lansbury asks with a hint of concern in her voice.
"Not this morning," Stefan answers dismissively. "I will be leaving for the hospital. You will do as I ask?"
"Yes, I already made one call," Mrs Lansbury answers, taking his coat from a nearby closet. "I'll make another after you leave."
Stefan nods, taking his coat from Mrs Lansbury's outstretched arms. "Good. I will call you if I plan to be home for dinner."
After Stefan leaves, Mrs Lansbury picks up the phone and dials. After the person on the other line answers, she speaks, careful to disguise her voice. "Yes, I need to speak to Mr Cassadine? He's not in yet? Could you leave a message for him that Carly Benson called? Yes, I know I've already left a message, but it's important. Thank you."
As soon as she hangs up, the phone rings. "Cassadine Residence, May I help you?"
"Mrs Lansbury, it's Nikolas."
Mrs Lansbury's voice is filled with delight. "Master Nikolas! How good to hear from you. Unfortunately, you just missed Mr Cassadine. He's on his way to the hospital. Tell me, are congratulations in order?"
"Not yet, Mrs Lansbury. But please let me be the one to break the news." He shakes his head in amazement. Did anything happen in the Cassadine family without her knowing it? "I just called to let you know I will be back tomorrow afternoon. Why is my father going into the hospital on a Sunday?"
Mrs Lansbury purses her lips before answering. It wasn't her business to say, even if she was worried about the elder Cassadine. "I believe he had an urgent errand to run. I know he'll be disappointed he missed your call. Will you call later?"
Nikolas catches the plea in her tone. "Sure. I'll call later. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Very good, Master Nikolas. Travel safely."
.
General Hospital
Stefan stands out of sight of the nurses station, watching as the nurses come and go. At the sight of Bobbie approaching and Amy manning the station, Stefan makes his move and walks up to Amy. "Do I have any messages, Ms Vining?"
She looks under the counter and notices a small pile of messages. "Yes, you do, Mr Cassadine. You've got a couple marked urgent from Carly." She hands him the messages.
Stefan scowls as he goes through his messages, crumpling the ones from Carly and handing them back to Amy. "Please dispose of these."
Amy mouth hangs open as she watches Stefan walk away. The surprise turns into a huge smile. "Well, looks like Carly's sugar daddy got bored. About time."
"What's that, Amy?" Bobbie asks as she comes up from behind with a stack of patient files.
"I think Carly and Stefan broke up. I gave him a stack of messages from Carly and he just threw them all away." Amy bites her lip to keep from laughing with glee.
"That doesn't mean they've broken up," Bobbie replies. Sometimes she despises Amy for her gossiping.
"Oh, but you didn't see the look of disgust on Stefan's face. The last time he looked like that was when he dumped Katherine Bell. Remember how he humiliated her in front of the entire hospital? I would pay to see him do that to Carly." Realizing by Bobbie's look of concern and rising anger, that she's gone too far, Amy stands up straight and forces her smile to disappear. "Sorry Bobbie, I can't help it."
"Just do me one thing, Amy," Bobbie retorts as she slams the files down. "Try not to rub Carly's nose in it when you see her. Think of it as doing a personal favor for me."
"Okay, but only for you." After Bobbie leaves, Amy grumps, "Damn, if it's not you, it's Audrey.... you ruin all my fun."
Emily pauses on the threshold of the Quartermaine mansion and takes a deep break for fortitude. Here's goes nothing. She slams the door just hard enough for the sound to carry. A moment later, Reggie appears. His face breaks into a smile of relief at the sight of her. "Emily! Lila will be so relieved to hear you made it home safely."
Smiling brightly, Emily opens her arms wide so he can see she's fine. "Yep, I'm safe and sound, just like I promised I'd be."
"Thank you for calling your grandmother so she wouldn't worry about you." He rubs his hands together as he looks searchingly at her bare fingers. He lowers his voice a notch. "So are congratulations in order?"
"Nope. There's been a change of plans, but we're very happy with where things stand." Emily steps further into the foyer and pulls off her light jacket, which Reggie automatically steps forward and takes. "Would you do me a favor and tell my parents and Grandfather that I want talk to them in the living room?"
Reggie gives her an incredulous look. "Forgive me for being blunt, Em, but are you nuts? All of them together in the same room?" He shudders. "They've been foaming at the mouth since you left."
Emily raises her eyebrows, picturing it in her mind's eye. "That bad, huh? I guess I should apologize for making your life miserable. But I just as soon get it over with, with all of them together. That way I only have to say things once."
Reggie quickly stows her jacket and hustles to do her bidding. Emily strolls into the living room and waits for the troops to arrive for battle. She wanders over to the liquor tray and pours herself a stiff glass of water.
A moment later, her parents and Edward stream into the room. "We've been worried sick and looking all over creation for you, Young lady," Edward says first, shaking his finger at her. "You can expect to be grounded until your 25th birthday! This is not how my granddaughter should act!"
"Can it, Edward," Monica growls. After days of bickering, Edward has worn out her last nerve. "She's our daughter, not yours. We'll decide how long she's grounded, not you!"
"She'll be grounded until she's thirty if I have anything to say about it," Alan puts in.
"A lot of good you've done this girl!" Edward retorts huffily. "She's been a mess ever since you took her under your wing. She was a sweet sensible girl until you RUINED her."
Emily rolls her eyes skyward as the adults talk over each other and raise their voices louder and louder to be heard. Finally losing her patience, Emily puts her thumb and forefinger in her mouth and lets out a piercing whistle. "Will everyone stop talking about me as if I wasn't even here? I have some things I want to say to all of you."
"I'm not interested in anything you have to say unless it's to tell us where that Euro-trash boyfriend of yours is hiding," Edward blusters. "I'll have him brought up on charges of kidnapping so fast, his head will spin. He will pay for leading you down the garden path, of that I can assure you."
"If I find him first, there won't be enough of him to put him in jail," Alan threatens. "When I get my hands on him I'm going to string him up by his..."
"ALAN!" Lila admonishes from the doorway. Emily looks past Lila to see Reggie's high sign. She sends him a grateful look. "That is quite enough from you. I'm very disappointed in you. I raised you better than that. Now you're all going to settle down and listen to what Emily has to say. Is that understood?"
"Lila," Monica begins to protest but Lila cuts her off.
"Sit down, Monica," Lila orders in a tone that brooks no argument. Monica plops down on the couch, followed by Alan. Edward takes a wing chair, knowing better than to fight Lila when she's in this mood. He knows well the punishment for crossing her, and he's not the least bit interested in sleeping on the couch tonight. Lila moves her wheelchair into the room. "There has been much too much hysteria these last few days. I won't tolerate any more of it. We will conduct ourselves as the adults for a change and let Emily have her say."
"You are asking too much, Mother," Alan grumbles.
"And you will do it anyway, Alan," Lila answers. "I will not allow you to scare this lovely child of yours out of our home." Lila gives Emily a sweet smile and gives a small wave of her hand. "Go on, Dear. This is the best I can do."
"Thank you, Grandmother," Emily takes another wing backed chair and looks to her parents earnestly. "Mom, Dad, I know you blame Nikolas for my taking off, but he didn't have anything to do with it. I decided to leave because I couldn't take the way you were treating me. You weren't listening to anything I had to say. I didn't know any other way to get you to listen to me and I didn't think I could spend one more day in this house." Emily takes a sip of water. "So I did the only thing I could think of. I left for a few days. To cool off, to think about everything that's happened. And to make you understand that you can't dictate to me like I'm a ten year old anymore."
"You're a minor, Emily. It's our job to protect you," Monica replies. "I realize we were pretty harsh..."
"Pretty Harsh?" Emily says incredulously.
"Now listen here," Edward cuts in. "That's no way to talk..."
"Shush, Edward," Lila scolds.
"We were really harsh," Monica admits. "But you have to understand, Emily. We were in shock. You kept this huge secret from us. For months you've carried on this illicit affair with Nikolas Cassadine without us being the wiser. We reacted without thinking because we were frightened for you. I know I said some things to you that I regret. But Honey, you weren't blameless here, either."
"I didn't want this family to ruin this, Mom," Emily replies. "Yeah, maybe I should have been honest about it. But every time I've had a boyfriend, this family has found a way to blow it out of the water. Nikolas was too special to me to let that happen. And once you found out... look what Dad did. Look what Grandfather is threatening to do. Can you really blame me?"
"I think Edward and Alan need to apologize to you, Emily," Lila adds quietly. "They've acted abominably. It's a wonder you still talk to us, Dear." A long silence follows.
"I'm not going to apologize for trying to protect my granddaughter," Edward grumps. "I already lost one granddaughter to those bloody Cassadines, I'm not about to sacrifice another to them."
"I'm not sorry for caring about you, Em," Alan says finally. "You didn't give us a chance to respond to this positively when you decided to take up with someone who encouraged you to lie to your family."
"He didn't encourage me to lie, Dad," Emily defends Nikolas adamantly. "That was my choice."
"And he is the adult in your relationship," Alan shoots right back. "He is supposed to know better."
"How are we supposed to trust you now, Em?" Monica asks. "How are we to trust that you are making healthy decisions for yourself?"
Emily seizes the opening Monica gives her. "Okay, let's look at that." She extends her fingers to tick off the items. "How have my grades been for the last year or so? Have I kept them up?"
"Yes," Monica allows. "We've been very proud of how you've done."
"In fact," Emily argues. "I've gotten A's in almost every class."
"This isn't about grades," Edward grouses. "This is about Young Cassadine! I'm not going to lose another family member to them, do you hear? We just lost Michael to them, for God's sake!"
"Michael has nothing to do with this," Lila pronounces.
"Getting back on track," Emily continues, putting out another finger. "Would you agree I've been pretty responsible about my part time job?"
"We don't have any problem with your job, Em," Alan interjects. "It's Nikolas."
"But you've been saying he's ruining my life!" Emily explains. "That you can't trust me to make good decisions. Wouldn't you say that my being able to keep a part time job for the last year is pretty responsible?"
"Yes," Monica says with a sigh. She can see where this is going.
"Have I been using drugs or alcohol? Staying out all night partying with my friends? Missing curfew?"
"No," Alan and Monica answer together.
"Have I come home pregnant?" Emily presses on. "With complaints of STD's?"
Edward covers his face. "Oh my Lord."
"No," With heat rising quickly to her face, Monica looks around the room. Edward has his face covered, and his body turned away. Alan's face is decidedly greenish in tinge. And Lila is looking on with a look of pride. Never in a million years did Monica imagine this sort of conversation with witnesses present. But she pushes on bravely "I imagine you've been practicing safe sex. But your relationship with Nikolas is very serious, with the potential of changing your life forever. And you kept it as one big secret. I wouldn't call that exactly responsible, Emily."
"And I'm the only one with secrets in this house?" Emily retorts sarcastically. "Mom, you and I had the safe sex talk a long time ago. You made sure I was informed. Did really think I'd come to you with a blow by blow?"
Edward bolts out of his chair. "I've had enough of this, I am out of here."
"Edward," Lila warns. "If you leave, you relinquish any opinion on this subject."
Edward paces around the room once before sitting down in his seat again. "Oh hell."
"My point is this, Mom, Dad, Grandfather...." Emily takes a deep breath. "I've grown up. Maybe I'm not eighteen yet, but I've been running my own life, and doing a pretty good job of it for the last year, even with the influence of Nikolas in my life. I've proved I can take care of myself."
"Yes, you have, Dear. I couldn't be more proud," Lila answers gently.
"I want to stay here with you until I'm done with high school. I love all of you. But I won't stay here if you interfere in my relationship with Nikolas. I love him, and nothing you say or do is going to change how I feel. And I warn you, if you do anything to hurt him, to keep him from seeing me, I'm out of here. And I won't come back and you won't find me." Emily stands. "That's all I have to say. So, if you all don't mind, I'm going to go upstairs and take a shower. I've been up since dawn."
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